The Japanese city of Yahata (which was incorporated into the larger city of Kitakyushu in 1963) was subjected to three major air raids during World War II, part of the U.S. strategic bombing campaign. The first raid took place on the night of 15/16 June 1944. This was the first attack on the Japanese home islands by United States Army Air Forces bombers since the Doolittle Raid of 1942. The city was next attacked during the day and night of 20 August 1944. These two attacks caused little damage to the city's industrial facilities. The third raid was conducted on 8 August 1945 and resulted in 21 percent of Yahata's urban area being destroyed. The third raid may have spared nearby Kokura from destruction, as Kokura was to be the primary target for the second atomic bomb the following day, but smoke from the fires in Yahata combined with cloud cover decreased visibility to the point that the secondary target of Nagasaki was bombed instead. Notes References World War II aerial operations and battles of the Pacific theatre Japan in World War II Japan campaign World War II strategic bombing of Japan Japan–United States military relations Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki